Another one perhaps means armageddon. Avoiding it should be top priority. Russia bashing takes precedence.

It rages out-of-control daily. It's malicious. It's merciless. It's outrageous. It doesn't matter. It continues. More on this below.

Obama exceeds the worst of his predecessors. Recklessness defines his agenda. He imposed two rounds of sanctions on Russia. He threatened much tougher ones ahead.

Sergei Lavrov is a consummate diplomat. He responded, saying:

"Unilateral sanctions have never done any good. They are not legal. And they do not have international legal grounds."

"The UN Security Council is the only body entitled to decide on coercive measures towards sovereign states, but it has not made such decisions in regards to the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian administration of President Yanukovych."

"Even if we speak about the Ukrainian constitution, the people who grabbed power in Kiev in an anti-constitutional revolt did that with at least moral support and, I believe, that support was not just moral, by their actions."

"The trampling upon laws, which aimed to bring their stooges to power, who relied on blatant ultra-nationalists and who were unable to control even Kiev without them, and accusations of us and Crimeans of breaching Ukrainian laws are totally void from the legal point of view and, I believe, totally unacceptable from the point of view of morals and ethics."

A Foreign Ministry statement added:

"Lavrov stressed that the decision on Crimea's reunification with Russia reflected the expression of will of the absolute majority of its people, that it may not be reviewed and must be respected."

"Lavrov drew particular attention to the ongoing violence by ultranationalist and extremist forces targeting businessmen and journalists, dissenters, the Russian-speaking population and our compatriots."

"It is time to put an end to the condoning of the Right Sector militants and Svoboda party" extremists.

NATO Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a convenient US stooge. He endorses US policies. He supports Kiev neo-Nazi putschists.

On March 20, he lied saying "Russia will go beyond Crimea, and the next goal will be the eastern provinces of Ukraine."

Relations between NATO and Russia can no longer remain "just business," he added. Things are different than weeks earlier, he said.

He blamed Russia for Western imperial crimes. Perhaps he has war plans in mind. Perhaps planned US-led NATO military exercises in Ukraine suggest trouble.

Rapid Trident is scheduled for this summer. Similar exercises are conducted annually.

US forces in Europe web site says they're designed to "promote regional stability and security, strengthen partnership capacity, and foster trust while improving interoperability between the land forces of Ukraine, and NATO and partner nations."

European leaders intend "targeted economic measures" if Russia "continues to destabilize Ukraine," they said. According to European Council president Herman Van Rompuy:

"We will assess each action, each incident in itself. We will not put all our cards on the table…But the preparations are ongoing."

Angela Merkel said: "As long as there is no political environment for such an important political format as the G-8, the G-8 doesn't exist anymore."

Vladimir Putin responded, saying:

"Are they hoping to put us in a worsening social and economic situation so as to provoke public discontent?"

"We consider such statements irresponsible and clearly aggressive in tone, and we will respond to them accordingly."

Columnist Roger Cohen is one of many New York Times imperial apologists. He never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Instead of choosing the right side of history, he's polar opposite every time. Especially when it matters most. Setting the record straight isn't his long suit.

He's been bashing Russia for weeks. On March 20, he headlined "Cold Man in the Kremlin," saying:

"Putin’s push for a revived Soviet-like space reached its apotheosis (with) the annexation of Crimea." He called it "a watershed moment for Europe, where such an event had not happened since World War II."

He ignored Yugoslavia's systematic destruction. He turned a blind eye to US-led NATO's full responsibility.

He said nothing about Washington transforming most former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact countries into subservient pro-Western puppet states. He paid no attention to accompanying human misery.

"The Continent is once again combustible," he said. "The United States faces a foe in Moscow who laces his comments about America with contempt."

In 2009, Kasparov met personally with Obama in Washington. At the time, they discussed internal Russian elements opposed to Putin.

Kasparov allied with a 2010 "Putin must go" initiative. WaPo editors gave him featured op-ed space. He headlined "It's time to stop Putin."

He repeated the same Big Lie. He "invad(ed) Crimea," he said. He called legitimate reunification "defiance."

He wants Putin confronted more forcefully. He wants tough pressure applied. He wants policies "target(ing) his hold on power."

He claims it's "all (he) cares about…" He berated Obama for saying he won't send US forces to defend Ukraine. He ludicrously called it "a gesture of peaceful intent."

He claimed there's "no dealing with Putin, no mutually beneficial business as usual." He turned truth on its head saying he "feels no obligation to operate by the rule of law or human rights in or outside of Russia."

"Putin is a lost cause," he hyperventilated. Russia "will be until he is gone. The West has been in denial about this for far too long."

"It has always been an error to treat (him) like any other leader; now, there are no more excuses."

You can't make this stuff up. Imagine featuring this type rubbish. Kasparov is no democrat. He's no populist. He's connected to some of the most extremist neocon ideologues.

They deplore peace. They endorse war. They want one country after another ravaged. They want them plundered. They want monied interests alone benefitting.

They want ordinary people exploited. They want despots they control replacing democrats. Their agenda risks global war.

Not according to Kasparov. "Obama and Europe's leaders keep trying to play by the rules even though Putin has ripped up the rule book and thrown the shreds in their faces," he claimed.

He wants him targeted ruthlessly. He wants him ousted. Maybe he has war in mind to do it. He's part of the problem. For sure not the solution.

Wall Street Journal editors continued their daily anti-Russia barrage. On March 20, they headlined "The Russo-Sanctions War," saying: